In 2003 the Regency of Manggarai was split into two separate regencies, Manggarai and West Manggarai, with West Manggarai’s (Manggarai Barat) new district capital in Labuan Bajo. Manggarai Barat, one of the six regencies of Flores, consists of the mainland of the most western part of Flores and islands such as Komodo, Rinca, Padar and Longos together with about 40 smaller islands. The total population of West Manggarai in 2005 was 190,286. The majority of the population is active in agriculture related activities. The tourism sector together with agriculture and fisheries have been identified as the potential sectors to be developed by local government. Tourism’s potential is closely linked to the UNESCO world heritage site at Komodo National Park with its unique dragons as the major attraction. Komodo National Park is also considered to be one of the richest marine environments in the world, with more than 50 dive sites. Diving and snorkeling contribute a significant amount of income to the local service providers. Upper class visitors tend to use live aboard boats during their visits to Komodo, due to the limitation of facilities and services provided by local enterprises on the mainland. Based on the data from Taman National Komodo, the number of visitors to Komodo National Park has been increasing from 15,147 visitors in 2004 to 18,646 visitors in 2005. However, a new entrance fee regulation implemented since 1 May 2006 has

Labuan Bajo is home to 99 registered tourism operators comprised of restaurants, hotels, transportation, tour and travel companies, dive operators, 64 independent guides and 15 street vendors working in the informal sector. With the Komodo dragon as its iconic symbol, West Manggarai Regency is rich in eco-tourist attractions ranging from beaches to diving spots, natural caves, waterfalls, fossilized forests, bird watching, cultural heritage attractions and panoramic views. Despite many areas requiring improvement, such as local facilities and basic infrastructure (road, telecommunication, water and electricity supply), national park entrance fee regulation, unavailability of ATM and credit card services, and a lack of skilled workers - the continuously increasing number of visitors to West Flores brings hope that the tourism sector will become an ‘agent of change’ for the region.

Present and future market

The following table provides a summary of the team’s vision for the future tourism market in West Flores. This vision was developed based on the key characteristics of the present market and the ideas on how the market could look like in three to five years.